Tony Abbott and Lord Byron

Lady Caroline Lamb described Byron as “Mad, bad and dangerous to know.”

Byron was not without his charms so the parallel between Byron and Abbott ends with Lamb’s epithet.

Tony Abbott is one of many Australian politicians who is keen to use the election of Donald Trump as a justification for their own political views.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has described Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the US presidential election as “the revenge of the deplorables” and says it will put contentious global issues such as climate change into “better perspective” and that the political tide had appeared to turn in favour of the right-wing.”

Trump’s election has not put climate change in a better perspective. It may have reinforced the views of the already bigoted and stupid but it will have changed no one’s mind.

Abbott also railed against the ” political correctness” of attacks on “racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic” behaviour.

This is classic Tony Abbott doublespeak.

“Political correctness” has become a pejorative term particularly for anybody who doesn’t endorse the attitudes and ideas of the 1950s. It can be bandied around when anybody takes a stand against obnoxious behaviour.

So here’s an example of what Tony Abbott not drawing a line about what is acceptable and not acceptable. You can call the understandable and quite correct outcry about the behaviour of this woman, Pamela Ramsey Taylor, the now ex-Clay County Development Corp Director “political correctness” if you wish. But that doesn’t disguise the fact that her behaviour is obnoxiously unacceptable.

Taylor posted :”It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”

Her comments were endorsed by now ex- County Clay Count Mayor Beverly Whaling.

The problem, which Tony Abbott doesn’t understand and which is exemplified by his rabid support for the repeal of section 18 C of the Racial Discrimination Act, is that if this type behaviour is not roundly condemned as “racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic” then it proliferates and becomes the norm.

I’m sure that Tony Abbott would have been appalled by the statements of Pamela Ramsey Taylor. But he also needs to understand that the stance that he is taking gives credence to the idea that this type of behaviour is, in some way, acceptable.

It’s all very well to gloss over Donald Trump’s election campaign behaviour particularly his offensively sexist “grab them by the pussy” comment.

Donald Trump sends a message to the women of America

If you think a comment like this from the President of the United States does not endorse this form of behaviour, then you are seriously deluded.